Gov. Kay Ivey announces Special Election dates for House District 16
On Friday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a proclamation to set special election dates for Alabama House District 16. This seat was previously held by State Representative Kyle South (R-Fayette), who resigned to accept a position as the President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama. “Rep. South has served the people of House District 16 well for the past nine years and will continue to do so in his new role as president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama,” said Gov. Ivey. “He certainly leaves big shoes to fill in the Legislature, but I am incredibly happy for him and confident he will continue serving West Alabama well. I encourage everyone in this district to get out and vote during this special election to ensure you have another strong voice advocating for you in the Alabama Legislature.” The special primary election will be Tuesday, September 26, 2023. The special primary runoff, if necessary, will be held on Tuesday, October 24, 2023. House District 16 is considered a majority Republican district, so the winner of the Republican primary will likely be elected. The special general election is set for Tuesday, January 9, 2024. The deadline for qualifying with the two major political parties is Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. The deadline for all independent candidates and/or minor parties to turn in their qualifying paperwork, including ballot access petitions to the Secretary of State’s office is Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. The special election for House District 16 will be held in concurrence with the special election for House District 55 in Jefferson County. HD55 became vacant when State Rep. Fred Plump (D-Birmingham) resigned after agreeing to plead guilty to Federal corruption charges. House District 16 includes portions of Fayette, Jefferson, and Tuscaloosa counties. The Legislature will meet next on July 17 to consider court-ordered congressional redistricting changes. Neither HD16 nor HD55 will have representation in place by then. Both seats will be filled, however, by the start of the 2024 Alabama Regular Legislative Session. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter announces committee appointments
On Friday, State Representative Kyle South (R-Fayette) resigned from the Alabama House of Representatives to take a job as the President and CEO of the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce. This move created vacancies in the committees on which he served. Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) announced his appointments to fill those committee vacancies. Effective July 1, these House members will be appointed to the following committees: Rules Committee: Rep. Debbie Wood (R—Valley) Ways and Means General Fund Vice Chair: Rep. Chris Blackshear (R—Smiths Station) Ways and Means General Fund Committee: Rep. Kerry Underwood (R—Tuscumbia) Insurance Committee: Rep. Matt Woods (R—Jasper) Financial Services Committee: Rep. James Lomax (R—Huntsville) Joint Transportation Committee: Rep. Rhett Marques (R—Enterprise) ARPA Oversight Committee: Rep. Jeff Sorrells (R—Hartford) South’s departure had been announced weeks ago, giving the Speaker plenty of time to plan for making these appointments. Governor Kay Ivey will soon announce the dates for the special election to fill the vacancy in House District 16. There are now two vacancies in the 105-member House of Representatives. The other is in House District 55, where former Rep. Fred Plump (D-Birmingham) resigned and pleaded guilty to public corruption charges. The Alabama Legislature will meet on July 17 for its second special session to address court-ordered congressional redistricting. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Former Alabama lawmaker Fred Plump Jr. pleads guilty in kickbacks case
A former Alabama lawmaker accused of misusing state grant money by paying kickbacks to a legislative assistant pleaded guilty Wednesday. Former Rep. Fred Plump Jr., a Democrat from Fairfield, entered the plea to charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice in federal court in Birmingham. Plump resigned his seat May 31 as part of his deal with prosecutors. Plump took about $200,000 of the $400,000 that was allocated to his Piper Davis Youth Baseball League by a state legislator and gave it to the legislator’s aide, prosecutors wrote in the plea agreement filed with the court. Plump was allegedly told by the assistant that he had to give the money. “Plump understood that if he did not give half of the money to them, Legislator #1 would not direct Fund money to Piper Davis,” prosecutors wrote. Court documents did not name the legislator, but Rep. John Rogers, a Democrat from Birmingham, has indicated it is him. The payments took place between 2018 and 2022 before Plump took office. He was elected to the state House just last November. Prosecutors said Plump tried to obstruct the investigation by texting the assistant “red alert” to warn her about the investigation. Defense attorney Richard Jaffe said Plump, nicknamed “Coach” for his work in youth sports, has accepted full responsibility and “is committed to redeeming himself.” “We are still baffled by the mistakes and misjudgments that ‘Coach’ made with respect to what led to these charges. How does someone, 76 years old, who has led an exemplary life of service where he and his organization have benefited thousands of disadvantaged youth, end up in this predicament,” Jaffe wrote in an email. Asked if the investigation is ongoing or if other arrests are possible, Jaffe said he was limited in what he could say. “I don’t think we’ve heard the last of this discouraging turn of events, but I am not comfortable giving any opinions about what the future holds,” Jaffe wrote. Plump will be sentenced on October 23. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, but court documents show that prosecutors are recommending a more lenient sentence as part of his plea deal. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Kay Ivey announces special election days for House District 55
Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday signed a proclamation to set the special election dates for Alabama House District 55. This State House was vacated when Fred “Coach” Plump (D-Birmingham) resigned in May after pleading guilty to charges by the U.S. Department of Justice of wire fraud conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Governor Ivey set the special primary election for Tuesday, September 26, 2023. The special primary runoff, if necessary, will be held on Tuesday, October 24, 2023. The special general election will be on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. “Those in public office must be held to the highest standard, and it is unfortunate that the good folks in House District 55 have been left without representation due to poor decisions made by the individual who formerly held this seat,” said Governor Ivey. “I encourage everyone in this district to get out and vote during this special election to ensure you have a strong voice advocating for you in the Alabama Legislature going forward.” The deadline for qualifying with the two major political parties will be Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. The deadline for all independent candidates and/or minor parties is Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. House District 55 represents portions of Jefferson County, including Fairfield and Birmingham. Plump was a Democrat, and HD55 is a heavily Democratic-leaning District. There are 105 members of the Alabama House of Representatives. This seat will be filled before the 2024 Alabama Regular Session in February, but HD55 likely will not be represented in the likely special session on congressional redistricting. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
